Tarpon Dreams - Original Watercolor

30”x 22”
Original Watercolor

A self guided tarpon in my skiff is one of my real goals. Bonus points if I can guide my wife into a big one.

I've actually landed a nice 80-90 lb fish on the fly years ago, long before capt justin rea was mr. permit, he was a guide in alaska with my brother. One year my brother and I went down to key west and fished with him, we landed some fish.....but to me those fish really do not count for much. I showed up, had a nice boat ride, casted at the very obvious large tarpon coming at me, and hooked a couple and landed one. without justin guiding us we would have been sitting on the dock with no game plan and zero knowledge of what to really do....

Fast forward like 20 years, I built my first little skiff the SK14, and started making a yearly trip with it down to Florida to see my family in the Fort Myers area, show my wife around, hopefully guide myself into some fish....

Our first trip down with the sk14 we scared ALOT of redfish, hooked a few, and caught some trout and snook. Saw a couple tarpon rolling but couldn't get them to eat....I hooked two decent tarpon at night in the canals, but didn't land em. still had an amazing time.

On the next trip down to florida, I built my FS18 and we trailered that down. explored a ton more, put some real miles on the boat and fished and hardly saw anyone else. yet again scared alot of redfish, but this year we actually landed some. landed alot of snook, a nice big trout, and a couple sheepshead on the fly. finally found some tarpon in the backcountry this trip, hooked one that lasted for about 4 jumps before it dragged the flyrod into the mangroves and broke me off... that was my first real taste....

Our last trip down this past spring was our best yet. I made a direct bee line to my tarpon spot from the year prior, and literally in 10 minutes the first fish I hooked was a 24" tarpon that came out of the mangroves to swipe my fly.... we were not ready, net not ready, wife still drinking her coffee half alseep with the dog..... i lost the tarpon at the boat. totally my fault. The next couple days I stayed in that general area, and continued to be embarrassed by tarpon for the week... hooked 3, lost all of them.
One morning there were some larger ones hanging around, and the image of two 4' tarpon chasing down and fighting over my gurglar will forever haunt my mind. Especially because I hooked one, it went airborne and popped off almost instantly.

I finally landed one about 36" at night in one the local canals. Got it in to bank, get my hands on it and lip the fish. I get my fly out, and I go to grab my phone in my bag (5' behind me on the wall), and the fish goes nuts and I lose my grip and it flops itself back into the canal...he left a shit ton of scales on the ground when he flopped away, so i got some parting gifts. thanks buddy.

This year i will get my sweet revenge. I will put multiple tarpon in my skiff and finally get a good picture.

This is my ode to you. My masterwork. If I could only fish for one fish for the rest of my life, it would be the tarpon I painted.

This original watercolor will come matted and framed, frame is being made / worked on now.

SHIPPING
Shipping is available via a flat $250 fee for all oversized original artwork. All original artwork is carefully packaged so it is both waterproof and protected during shipping. A custom box is made from a combination of high density foam and lightweight plywood that will protect it during shipping and also during storage. I guarantee your original artwork will arrive in perfect shape. I have shipped artwork all over the country!
If you are on Instagram I have a reel highlighting my shipping/box building process you should watch.

LOCAL PICKUP
Local pickup is available at my studio and house here in East Falmouth on Cape Cod. I encourage this. Come meet me, shake my hand, and have a cup of coffee and talk life for a little bit…

WHITE GLOVE DELIVERY AND INSTALL
I pack up your newly purchased original and drive it directly to your house, install it, and clean up like I was never there. $100 flat fee plus gas / travel / equipment rental if need be (Yes Ive had to rent a lift before!). Lower Continental US only! Select this option at checkout and I will contact you asap to learn more about your install and location so I can give you a full quote.